ARTPOP ACT II Idea

[Bebe 17,094]

I'm anticipating a lot of responses to this thread are going to be some variation of "get over it, it's never going to happen", but this thread is not about the ARTPOP Act 2 described by Gaga in 2012/2013 and it isn't prediction of how her career will go, it's an idea that I thought was interesting and there isn't really a place to share your werido stan thoughts other than here  

The idea came to me while watching the VMA performance for Applause as she transformed from Stefani on the red carpet through multiple Gaga era's before becoming Venus. During 2013 Gaga talked about how she considered her entire career to be ARTPOP which I think is quite true, she also described ARTPOP as "the end of the beginning of my career" which is interesting.

 

 

Since then we have seen a very vast transformation from the Gaga of previous era's and it made me think... What if she released an ARTPOP Act II that is a culmination of her era's since ARTPOP similar to how how ACT 1 kind of culminated what she had done up to that point.

It builds upon this idea of her career being "art" and as some reflection on fame, American culture, pop culture, music, fashion and society. 

With ACT 1 focusing on the concept of a Popstar:

ACT 2 focusing on the concept of Classic Hollywood:

 

The elephant in the room is where Stupid Love and Chromatica fits in as it's clearly closer to her older work than her newer work, but I don't really see it as such a contradiction since I believe Gaga will continue to expand what it means to be a Popstar as well as continue to expand and modernise the traditions of Old Hollywood. She was still singing Cole Porter songs and rushing off to Tony Bennett while recording Chromatica and we know she is continuing to do movies so I'm sure she will continue with pop albums and jazz/theatre/movies even while moving through ACT 3 of her career, whatever that might look like 

Note: I don't think Gaga has planned her entire career from day one or anything like that - but I do think she always planned to evolve and change throughout her careers like her idols Bowie and Madonna. I just think it's an interesting way to make her work body of work seem more cohesive and add another layer to her work. Rather than separating her work every album cycle, you can seperate large chunks of her work into "Acts". It, to me, really emphasises Gaga as a performance artist exploring all of these different facets of Fame, American music and Society. 


Thoughts?

[Dramatica 13,690]

ARTPOP was mainly a pop album, I don't see how her jazz era would fit into ARTPOP Act II.

To be honest ARTPOP era wasn't her best, she was still recovering from her injury and had to go on a big arse tour. I don't see why she would bring back all those psychologically hard memories back on the table with an "ACT II" label. If she had to do an act 2 (-if-), I'd rather have a : JOANNE ACT II than ARTPOP ACT II

[AyaKara 2,281]

What if the Act II 'Hollywood' era you speak of ended with ASIB, and now we're onto the third act with Chromatica?

[Chesescake 4,006]

Oh my, this is what I suspected for tow years ago.

[Chuckles 2,549]

Act 3: World Kindness?

Also, didn't Gaga said she had planned her career since day one in an interview?

[EuphoricVibez 9]

I sort of agree, but this is what I'm thought now that you mention it. The Fame up to ARTPOP was act 1 of her career. It was all about making art, and presenting it through pop music. Cheek to Cheek up to ASIB was very old Hollywood style, but with a modern twist. Those eras were full on Hollywood glam, and stripped down, but were still artistic in their own ways. However, from Chromatica up to... whatever sounds like it will be a combination of both. It seems like she'll make art, and present pop music in a new type of way (most definitely through kindness), but it seems like she'll modernize what it means to be "old Hollywood" too. She's going to break the boundaries even more

 

[Mus 7,883]

I’d would be here for a legit “art pop” genre album 

[ice bear 1]

There's some finesse to this idea

[raragaga 8,119]

that's an interesting idea!

[LordByron28 1,063]

I like the idea and perspective a bit. However, it is likely she has goals of things she wants to do and general time frames of when she wants to get them done by as well as adjusting those goals as time goes by. She obviously is educated and well versed in pop culture and media so that definitely helps give her knowledge to make better informed decisions. She also does a good job of being selective and carefully picking collaborations and projects that blend well with her brand.

I think her labeling ARTPOP as the "end of the beginning of my career" shows that she had the foresight to know she had to transition to the next phase. Celebrities that are famous enough for multiple things usually have enough star power to endure flop albums or flop films. 

Also, I'd say instead of "Classic Hollywood" act, I'd call it "American Classic" act. This act seems more poised on performances of iconic songs in pop culture or her performing at iconic pop culture events. Here is a rundown of events she did after ARTPOP released in 2013:

Fall 2014- Cheek to Cheek. Classic jazz album with Tony Bennet that spawned numerous performances and a tour with the two of them.

December 2014- "If I Ever Lose Faith In You"- Sting cover at the Kennedy Center Awards

Christmas 2014- "Winter Wonderland" w/ Tony Bennet. Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony tradition

February 2015- "I Wish"- Stevie Wonder tribute at All Star Grammy Salute.

-"Cheek 2 Cheek"- with Tony Bennet at Grammys

-Sound of Music tribute to Julie Andrews. 

June 2015- "What's Up" at Songwriters Hall of Fame

-"Imagine" at European Games

September 2015- "Till it happens to you" releases. It is in a documentary called "Hunting Grounds" about campus rape. It spawns many performances and the song brings awareness to the cause.

December 2015- "New York, New York"- Frank Sinatra 100th birthday tribute.

February 2016- "Star Spangled Banner"- performance of the National Anthem at the Superbowl.

- David Bowie tribute performance at Grammys 

- Gaga wins her first Academy Award for 'Till It Happens To You' as well a delivering another moving performance which causes it to land in the US Billboard Hot 100.

November 2016- "Joanne" releases spawning numerous performances, singles, music videos, tours, etc. The album blends pop, singer-songwriter, folk, country and classic rock. 

December 2016- "La Vie en Rose" & "Lady is a Tramp" Tony Bennet's 90th birthday special.

February 2017- Superbowl Halftime Show

- "Moth into the Flame" with Metallica performance

April 2017- Headlines Coachella

September 2017- "Five Foot Two"- Netflix documentary

April 2018- "Your Song"- Elton John Grammy Allstar Salute tribute concert.

October 2018- ASIB. Dont think I need to explain how that consumed the later half of 2018 and all of 2019. 

April 2020- "Smile" and "The Prayer" with Celine Dion, John Legend and Andrea Bocelli. Opening and closing act at One World Together which she organized herself. Just to throw out but performing with Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli is legendary in and of itself. Not too mention organizing a benefits concert of this scale is unheard of. 

 

As for where Chromatica fits into all of this, I'm unsure. It could just be an American pop album teaming up with major forces in pop music such as Blood Pop, Ariana Grande, Max Martin, and Ryan Tedder to make a great pop album that the general population likes. I'm sure she's hoping for a IASF or BEYONCE like moment in terms of an album with a few commercially succesful singles.

 

 

[PopFanatic 48]

I don't know how it would go, but I don't understand why we can't get an ARTPOP II.

Lady Gaga legit has dozens of unreleased songs. She could throw 12 together and call that ARTPOP Act II. Or she could just release a "Lady Gaga: Unreleased Collection" and give us something to enjoy.

I don't think everything needs to be a grand production. Like Ariana released 2 full albums back to back in less than 2 years. Two albums packed with BOPS and IMO good production value. Gaga is more than capable of doing the same.

[Bebe 17,094]

20 hours ago, DRAMATICA said:

ARTPOP was mainly a pop album, I don't see how her jazz era would fit into ARTPOP Act II.

To be honest ARTPOP era wasn't her best, she was still recovering from her injury and had to go on a big arse tour. I don't see why she would bring back all those psychologically hard memories back on the table with an "ACT II" label. If she had to do an act 2 (-if-), I'd rather have a : JOANNE ACT II than ARTPOP ACT II

ARTPOP was a pop album because the first "ACT" of her career was focused on pop music.

I guess the point of this idea is that ARTPOP ACT II would be a "Hollywood Classic" sort of stripped down album because that is the second "ACT" of her career. It's still making a similar commentary but it's exploring a different side of Fame and American pop culture.

It's expanding the meaning of ARTPOP and reframing her entire body work as an exploration, study and reflection of Fame/American Pop Culture/Music/Fashion. Cheek to Cheek is as much "ARTPOP" in the way she explores the concept of Old Hollywood as The Fame Monster is in the way she explores the concept of a Pop Star. She is mixing art with pop culture in both instances. Her entire career is ARTPOP. 

It's not so much a continuation of the first ARTPOP it's that the end of each chapter or "ACT" of her career is marked by a new ARTPOP album revisiting her previous work while taking it to it's furthest possible limits. ACT II could have a very bluesy, Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black' kind of vibe to incorporate a lot of what this chapter of her career has been with a very Film Noir aesthetic.
 

20 hours ago, Chuckles said:

Act 3: World Kindness?

Also, didn't Gaga said she had planned her career since day one in an interview?

Honestly, I could see that being her sort of "ACT 3". 

I think Gaga obviously always planned on changing, but I think it's been authentic in the way she has collaborated with certain artists and changed. I don't think it was planned but a reflection of the direction she wanted to go. So I could imagine, for example, that she maybe originally planned to going an Elton John route and stripping it back to her and her piano or diverting from Pop but to a more Rock genre rather than Jazz. It's impossible to know for example that you will strike up a friendship with Tony Bennett or that an opportunity like ASIB will appear - but they are opportunities and projects she chased and that's the facet of pop culture she wanted to explore at the time because she authentically wanted to rather than she meticulously planned it. She could have explored the same themes discussed in OP as a "Rockstar" for example, but decided to explore another avenue instead.

Not only is it impossible to plan these things, but I also don't want the perception to be that her work is inauthentic in any way by being meticulously planned out. I think she is genuinely the artist she portrays herself to be and is authentic in her work.

I'm not even sure that it was done purposefully, it's just born out of interpretation. RoseLee Goldberg (an American-based art historian, author, critic and curator of performance art) Has said “To be an artist is to be isolated, to work in a way which is original and highly experimental. The artist rarely knows where he or she is going, until he/she gets there.”

I think you also see how she has always sung Jazz from singing Someone to Watch Over Me on the today show during TFM, singing Orange Colored Sky at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend to You and I Jazz version for MTV or from the advocacy that she has displayed since the beginning of her career that her art is authentic.

 

[Dramatica 13,690]

6 minutes ago, Bebe said:

ARTPOP was a pop album because the first "ACT" of her career was focused on pop music

ARTPOP was a pop album because it's artPOP. PeriodT.

[Scarlet Bitch 862]

14 hours ago, LordByron28 said:

- Gaga wins her first Academy Award for 'Till It Happens To You' 

 

this must be a nice world you live in 

[Bebe 17,094]

Just now, DRAMATICA said:

ARTPOP was a pop album because it's artPOP. PeriodT.

Well yes, and I have no doubt that was the original intention too. She's said so herself. 

I just feel you're missing the point of this thread a little. I'm not imagining a EDM pop record celebrating her previous and I'm not pretending like I believe this is going to happen and she is going to actually release an ACT 2 and ACT 3 - but I do think it would be cool if she expanded what ARTPOP is by releasing an ACT II as an "end of  second chapter" retrospect in the way the first ARTPOP was a sort of retrospect for the first chapter of her career.

I think it would be cool of her to make a statement on her entire career by inviting it to be viewed within the lens of this giant pop performance exploring, studying and reflecting on the things I mentioned in OP.